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Star Wars: An Impactful Saga (Barnes)
Introduction New Forms of Media We live in an ever-changing world, where nothing seems to stay stagnant for very long. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is yet to be seen. Over the course of about two thousand years, our society as made some significant improvements of just about everything around us. Even the simple aspect of orality has changed immensely, transforming from speaking, to writing, and now to digital literacy. It seems that speaking was not enough, which Plato saw as the complete opposite. As the world was making a movement towards writing, Plato had this to say: “Their trust in writing, produced by external characters which are no part of themselves, will discourage the use of their own memory within them. You have invented an elixir not of memory, but of reminding; and you offer your pupils the appearance of wisdom, not true wisdom.”Plato, "Phaedrus." Course Readings, HUM211 Here, Plato gives a viewpoint that is worth acknowledging and provides a point that really catches a reader’s attention. Is our digital world the better option or is it hindering our progression? Does older “technology” have more pros than cons? These are some of the questions that Plato inadvertently asks us to consider, because we must make our own choice. There are new forms of media that appear everyday, they affect our lives, so we must understand what they are and how to properly use them. Shifting Dynamics As orality has made the transformation to digital literacy, a prevalent correlation takes place as the roles and dynamics of authors, readers, and texts start to change as well. There is a correlation, because the roles of authors, readers, and texts have had to accommodate for the new technology that has been created. This dynamic shifting of roles has predominantly affected the entire literary universe. In the “old days,” books (texts) were just that, a solid piece of material that one would hold to read. In today’s world, texts have become very digitalized, something that you can touch through a screen and manipulate it in ways there were not possible fifty years ago. As texts have changed, so has the roles of authors and readers. Before the transformation, there was a notable distance between an author and a reader. The author wrote the book and the reader would read it. Now, with the introduction of the internet, that gap of space between an author and a reader is almost non-existent. Readers can now easily communicate with authors and the potential to affect the author’s work is very possible. An example of the readers’ power is how a petition was started to bring back the show, Veronica Mars, a “cult favorite,” after it had been canceled. The show was brought back to life and set an example for pop culture pieces. What Technology Does to Our Conciousness As we look back to Plato and his wise words, “…trust in writing…will discourage the use of their own memory within them,” we are reminded that sometimes the way things used to be might be the better in some cases. In ''Is Google Making Us Stupid?, ''Nicholas Carr states that technology has the potential to “train our minds to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles. The more they use the Web, the more they have to fight to stay focused on long pieces of wiring.”Nicholas Carr, "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" Course Readings, HUM211 This section can be argued in two different ways: Nicholas Carr’s argument or the argument that states that the progressing technology is actually improving our lives, rather than hindering it. Another argument, similar to Carr’s, is one by Stephen Marche in the article: ''Is Facebook Making Us Lonely? ''Marche states that “It is clear that social interaction matters. Loneliness and being alone are not the same thing, but both are on the rise. We meet fewer people. We gather less. Ad when we gather, our bonds are less meaningful and less easy. The decrease in confidants – that is, in quality social connections – has been dramatic over the past 25 years.” From Marche’s statements, one can see just powerful our technology can be, even negatively. That is why it is so important to understand the role of technology and how its forms can have different effects. Accessibility to Online Tools As technology has transformed from one thing to another and how the roles of authors, texts, and readers have changed, so has the evolution of literary tools. Years ago, tools of technology were not as prevalent and were more tangible. Those items, since then, been digitalized and have become more intangible products of literary works. This has only been further developed through the introduction of knowledge communities. In the words of Henry Jenkins, knowledge communities are described as “Online forums offer an opportunity for participants to share their knowledge and opinions.”Henry Jenkins, "Spoiling Survivor." Course Readings, HUM211 These communities have ever-expanded countless literary works and their universes, providing alternated endings to stories and brand-new literary works that never had existed before. This has led to the act of “spoiling,” or ruining the end result of a TV show or movie and it has allowed for readers to become the authors themselves. This, then, furthers the argument that the dynamics between authors and readers and always shifting and over-shadowing one another. Introduction to Final Project I have decided that my final project would be centered around Star Wars and its universe. Star Wars is something that most people have at least heard of and for those who are the most dedicated fans, Star Wars has probably become a very intricate part of your life. I believe that George Lucas, as masterful and creative as he was, had no idea how large the universe he gave life to would be. Star Wars is such a prime example of how text and literacy have changed and evolved over the course of its lifetime. My project will look at the ''Interpretative'' Disputes, ''the'' Knowledge Communities, ''and'' ''the'' Remediation ''that exists within the universe of Star Wars. By expounding on these three key elements,'' one’s understanding about the development of literacy and technology and how they affect one another should be more deeply furthered. Interpretive Disputes Introduction When one starts to look and analyze the universe of Star Wars, one notices that there are specific disputes that major Star Wars fans have with each other. In addition to each dispute, there are certain sides that each fan takes. This section will explore some pertinent disputes and look to see why fans argue the points they argue. The Prequels Are… (Great or Terrible?) The first Star Wars movie (''A New Hope'') premiered in the year 1981, followed by two more movies (''The Empire Strikes Back'' & ''Return of the Jedi''). Today, this series of movies is considered by fans who first saw these movies in theatres as surpassing the later trilogy by a very far margin. It is said that the original trilogy explicitly explains why there is a war going on by simply showing your classic scenario of good versus evil. The prequel trilogies’ explanation of the war is not quite as clear cut, being bogged down by trade disputes, reasons/excuses to elect Palpatine as Chancellor, and the act of spreading the Jedi, very thinly, across the galaxy, easing their demise. The fans that grew up with the original trilogy were very excited when ''The Phantom Menace'' first premiered in 1999. However, after being exposed to the original trilogy, most of those fans became quite disappointed with how the next three movies turned out. More arguments against the Prequels consist of the following: · George Lucas’ decision to use a lot of green screen filming · How many characters, like Jar Jar, were severely underdeveloped · How Darth Vader’s predecessor was painted as being very whiney and peculiar Who Shot First? Another dispute that fans take one is the issue of who shot first: Han Solo or the Greedo, the Rodian bounty hunter. This is probably the most, consistently argued concept in the Star Wars universe. The scene consists of Han Solo and Greedo having a discussion about what Solo is presumed to owe money to one of the galaxy’s most powerful gangsters, Jabba the Hutt. In the original, scene, Han Solo fires his weapon first killing Greedo for no apparent reason. The audience was left seeing Solo as an outlaw with an “I don’t care” attitude; this was a very attractive trait for Solo’s character. When a special edition of ''A New Hope ''was released, fans had discovered that George Lucas had gone back and altered the Han Solo shooting scene. They find that the scene had been changed to Greedo raising his weapon and then seeing Solo shoot him, making it look like self-defense. Fans saw this change as the pivotal loss of something that really defined who Solo’s character was. In What Order Should You Watch the Movies? In most cases, when there is a series of movies, one usually starts with the one titled as the first and work one’s way up. However, this is not the case with the Star Wars series, according to fans. We’ve already discussed how some fans perceive specific movies in a certain way and, naturally, those same fans have their belief on which order to watch the films, which according to them, can have a significant impact on how you experience the saga. Some fans say that if you watch the movies in linear order, you will miss out on the “mystery and magic” that surrounds the nature of the Force. In ''The Phantom Menace, ''the Force is explained early on. Another reason why you shouldn’t watch the movies in linear order is that you ruin what is considered to be the greatest reveal in cinematic history: the relationship between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. Most adamant Star Wars fans suggest watching the series in the order that they were released, but that of course, like anything, is up for debate. Referenced from Cinema BlendCinema Blend. http://www.cinemablend.com/new/8-Star-Wars-Arguments-Fans-Never-Stop-Having-85657.html Knowledge Communities Introduction As stated above, knowledge communities are places, usually found online, where specific groups of people gather to discuss different ideas, topics, and opinions. This is no different for Star Wars. Since Star Wars has become such an intricate part of people’s lives there have been many knowledge communities that have been created to thoroughly explain the universe that is Star Wars and to expand on what was already created by George Lucas. Wookiepedia This is THE Star Wars wikia. This website consists of everything that has ever existed in the Star Wars universe. To really acknowledge the massive feat that has taken place on this wikia, it is worth noting that it covers the 25, 793 years before the Battle of Yavin, which is the destruction of the first Death Star, all they way to 138 years after that battle. Moreover, this does not just cover the films and any novels written afterwards, but everything from spinoff films, television shows, comic books, reference books, video games, magazines, RPGs, and soundtracks. In addition to the accessibility of a surplus of information about Star Wars, the wikia is also set up in a way that is welcoming to new fans of the series. The front page is set up where users can select different categories surrounding the Star Wars universe, including: battles, characters, conflicts, creatures, droids, duels, governments, locations, organizations, species, starships, technology, vehicles, and weapons. Also, as the user scrolls down the page, he/she will find that each day there is a new “Quote of the Day”, “Featured Article of the Day, “A Good Article to Read”, and a “Did Know Know” section. At the very bottom of the page, the user will find a section called: “Official Friends of Wookiepedia.” This section is specifically designed to highlight some more prevalent Star Wars knowledge communities, which include: Abel G. Pena, Club Jade, Daniel Wallace, The Lego Star Wars Wiki, Official Star Wars PocketModels Website, Skywalker.dk, Star Wars Fanboy Association, Star Wars Fanpedia, Star Wars: The Old Republic Wiki, SWGames, and TeeKay-421. Referenced from Wookiepedia.Wookiepedia. http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page Star Wars: Fanpedia Another notable wikia to mention is the Star Wars: Fanpedia wikia. This website was worthy of noticing because it is strictly geared towards Star Wars fans and not just a wikia chalk full of information. As stated by the wikia: “A Star Wars fan community about all the latest news and rumors from a galaxy far, far away, including Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” This wikia set up differently than the Wookiepedia; it has a video section at the very top, a “Star Wars News” section after that, a “Must-See Video” section, and finally, a list of every “Featured Wikia Communities.” I also thought this wikia was worth noting, because it really emphasized and explored fan-based items such as home-made videos, films, and news strictly made for Star Wars fans. Referenced from Star Wars: Fanpedia.Star Wars: Fanpedia. http://starwarsfans.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Wars_ Why So Many Knowledge Communities? Star Wars is a film that is considered a universe that became such a significant and intricate part of society’s culture in 1977. “A New Hope” was very different than anything that had ever been made before, which is what sparked the huge fandom. “A New Hope” created a very different human experience and because of this, George Lucas was able to leave his trademark on aspects of people’s lives and was able to unlock the realm of imagination. Fans saw Star Wars as “larger than life” and they thought that the universe of Star Wars was so fun to play in, because of the uniqueness that it brought to the human experience and how it sparked so much creativity. Remediation Introduction Most people, when first seeing the word remediation, would think this section would be about how fans have corrected something that they saw as a failing point in Star Wars. However, this section encompasses what Star Wars related items were birthed after their first introduction into our society, how they came to be, and why. Novels After our society was subjected to the Star Wars universe, many things were created from that world, including many national bestseller novels. The eras that novels are included in are: · Pre-Republic era (One book: ''Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void ''by: Tim Lebbon) · Old Republic era (Nineteen books) · Rise of the Empire era (Forty books) · Clone Wars era (Twenty-one books) · Imperial era (Thirty-eight books) · Rebellion era (Twenty-five books) · New Republic era (Thirty books) · New Jedi Order era (Thirty-six books) · Legacy era (Twenty-six books) As you can see, these novels go back even before the films began and continue further on even after they had finished. Along with these nine novels, there were also some short story collections, and over thirty “Young Readers” books. Video Games In addition to novels, the Star Wars Universe also includes some very-well created video games. The video games cover everything from the films to spin-off television shows and movies. These video games include: · Aquatic Assault · Attack Cruiser · Attack on the Death Star · Endurance · LucasArts Cantina · Star Wars: Screen Entertainment · Star Wars Imperial Assault · Star Wars: Jedi Adventure · Star Wars: Millennium Falcon Challenge · Star Wars: Rebel Forces · Vernost In addition to these two vast sections, there are also over eighty comic books, seven reference books, twenty-three magazines, and twenty-seven soundtracks. Star Wars: Uncut In addition to what is included on the Wookiepedia page, another remediated aspect of Star Wars is a project taken on by fans called: “''Star Wars Uncut.''” This is something so unique that is taken on by fans! Each fan is assigned a fifteen second clip to act out in any way, shape, or form. Then, the people in charge of the entire project take all of the clips that were submitted and put them together to re-create an entire movie. They have re-created ''A New Hope ''and ''The Empire Strikes Back.'' This is a great example of how such devoted fans take the original work that is presented to them and morph it into something that is extremely creative and wonderfully orchestrated. Referenced from WookiepediaWookiepedia. http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page and Star Wars: UncutStar Wars: Uncut. http://www.starwarsuncut.com Topics & References